In addition to all new creative materials promoting RV ownership at the national level, Go RVing has created new resources for local RV businesses to capitalize on the “AWAY” campaign through the Go RVing Industry Tie-In Program.
Developed for campground owners, RV dealers, show promoters and their agencies, the updated Go RVing Industry Tie-In Program offers online access to campaign collateral, tools and consumer leads to use in incorporating the national advertising messages into their local... Read more

The sales numbers for recreational vehicles the first two months of 2012 speak volumes. But what’s behind the numbers may say even more.
The South Bend (Ind.) Tribune reported that according to the Reston, Va.-based Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA):
RV shipments to retailers rose 31.8% in February above January’s totals and were up 24.2% over February of last year.
The 24,600 units reported in the latest survey of manufacturers marked the best February in four years.
The two-month... Read more

Marco Annunziata
The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has announced that Marco Annunziata, chief economist and executive director of Global Market Insight at General Electric Co., will be one of the featured speakers at the 2nd World RV Conference being held Jan. 17 – 20, 2013, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa, Fla.
Annunziata will examine how the increasingly complex global economy impacts business trends and markets during luncheon remarks on Friday, Jan 18,... Read more

VCA makes mark at state legislature.
Virginia campgrounds will benefit from a successful legislative session that concluded on March 14. Spearheaded by the lobbying of the Virginia Campground Association (VCA), two legislative achievements of considerable importance to the park industry made this year’s session a success for the park industry, according to a VCA news release.
The Virginia code now specifically permits campgrounds to submeter electricity, bringing uniformity to the practice across... Read more

Yogi Bear and friends
Summer is nearly three months away, but many families can’t wait until then to visit the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Lawrence, Kan.
In fact, dozens of families from Kansas City and the surrounding areas are kicking off the summer camping season on Easter weekend, according to a news release.
“We're very excited about the special activities we have planned for our campers,” said Nancee Morris, general manager of the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Lawrence. “Both... Read more

New member recruitment and overhaul of the website are the primary goals of the Iowa Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (Iowa ARVC) for the coming year, reports Chip Smith, association president.
Iowa ARVC held its annual conference March 29 at Crossroads RV Park in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and discussed these two key issues.
Smith reported that 10 of the association’s 24 member parks attended the one-day event, which is an increase from past years. But Iowa ARVC penetration in the state’s 80... Read more

Two trailers were destroyed and another was damaged by fire Thursday (March 29) when an employee at Indian Trails Campground near Peru in north-central Indiana lost control of burning leaves.
The Miami County Sheriff Department said a preliminary investigation revealed the employee at the campground was burning leaves when changing winds blew the flames beneath the porch of a trailer, catching it on fire, the Peru Pharos-Tribune reported.
The flames spread to a neighboring trailer, which was also... Read more

Nanci Sikes, executive director for the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau in Northern California, expects a busy spring for both locals and tourists.
One of the great kickoffs of spring in the Mother Lode region is this weekend's opening of Railtown 1897 in Jamestown. Every Tuolumne and Calaveras resident with identification gets to ride the rails for free this weekend only, mymotherlodge.com reported.
Railtown is one of the 70 state parks slated for closure this July.
Sikes insists that the community... Read more

CCLOA builds on success.
The Colorado Campground and Lodging Owners’ Association (CCLOA) focused on the theme “Success” at its annual convention and trade show held March 20-23 at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland, Colo.
The event attracted owners or operators of 17 campgrounds and RV parks, and the trade show featured 12 vendors.
The mood seemed optimistic overall among the attendees as they approach the start of the 2012 camping season.
“Despite rising gasoline prices, reservations... Read more

MICHIGAN
From a news release:
Sun Communities Inc., a real estate investment trust based in Southfield, Mich., that owns and operates manufactured housing and recreational vehicle communities, today (March 30) announced its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 63 cents per share for the first quarter of 2012. The dividend is payable April 27, 2012, to shareholders of record April 16, 2012. Sun Communities has approximately 26.5 million shares outstanding.
Sun Communities Inc. currently... Read more